


Support Group

by Iammeandthatsokay



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/F, F/M, Hogwarts Eighth Year, M/M, Multi, Other, POV Harry Potter, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, Slow Burn, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:01:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23269609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iammeandthatsokay/pseuds/Iammeandthatsokay
Summary: Post-War. Life at Hogwarts is getting back to normal, but not for Harry, and, as it turns out, not for some others as well. When a particular Slytherin student decides to start a student support group, life at Hogwarts becomes even more confusing for Harry. Confusing, but interesting :)
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Comments: 10
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> See the end for notes :)  
> Thanks for reading!!

It was the beginning of November. kind of a regular day. Ron and I had been sitting in the great hall and had been chatting about charms homework. Like old times. Except it wasn’t like old times at all, but it’s impossible to think about that all day. Talking with your best mates about how long your essay is compared to theirs, is much easier than having to see all the empty spots on the benches in the hall. Everytime I looked over to where previously the slytherin table had been, my heart was crushed. 

The heads of the houses had decided to stop splitting everybody up. The sorting ceremony still remained, but it was more for tradition sake than for determining the life of an 11 year old. The table system had been changed, which was the only good solution. It would’ve been unbearable to see how empty the seats would be, and the loss everyone had suffered.

Especially the Slytherins. Not only did a lot of those students drop out after the battle, it was also undeniable that of all the houses, Slytherin had the least survivors. This had everything to do with the side they were fighting on. Some Slytherin students had joined Voldemort’s side, and had been met with a bad ending. Even worse (or, no, not worse. Every student death is equally worse), the Slytherins who had fought on the other side, had been labeled as “traitors” by the Death Eaters, sometimes even friends or family, and these students had been more victimized than any other. 

Slytherin had suffered a great loss, and everyone knew and felt it. When they got rid of their table, and moved the other three in a triangle position, for more harmony, no one had complained. We all silently understood the grief everyone was feeling. 

It took some getting used to, to be completely honest. My personal relationship with the Slytherin house has had mostly bad parts, and to greet them as friend instead of foe, was new. I tried, obviously I tried, I couldn’t not have tried. But still. 

The first weeks after the battle, everyone went home. We did not have our summer holidays, no, but we all needed some time. I guess it’s safe to say I needed more time than the others. 

When I returned, which I could have done in June (they kept Hogwarts open for the people with no other place to go), almost everyone had returned. It was late october, and though there was so much tension and grief hanging in the air, things had found their way back to normal. Classes had been picked up, teachers had been reassigned, and unspoken rules about houses and the war had been made.  
So then I returned, to the place I had called home for so long, but had also given me the nightmares I’d carry with me til my very end.

I thought my return would be the last one. I realized I had taken more time off than the other students, but thought mine would be an ultimate. It sort of was. Only one person made their return to Hogwarts later than I had. People hadn’t even expected him to come back. I don’t really know what I had been expecting back then. Guess I just tried to ignore the clear absence of my arch enemy companion friend teammate traitor ferret person; we have a complicated relationship.  
But sure enough, at the start of November, while having breakfast and chatting about Charms essays, Draco Malfoy walked through those doors, and shocked us all.

As I said, I don't know what I'd been expecting. But Draco Malfoy with longish messy hair and casual robes without any sign of class or house, was like whiplash to me. So much had changed about him since I last saw him, which was at his and his mother's trial, when he looked completely different (understandably so, he was on trial for crimes against the wizarding world). But now he looked, sort of, okay. Not happy, but his cheeks were less hollow then I remembered them to be, his eyes were a little brighter and his face was still Malfoy pale, but not sickly. Draco had gotten better, at least a little, and it made me very happy I think. 

Not everyone shared my opinion. I could've seen it coming (I didn't). Draco probably did. He knew what it was like to have everyone hate him for his father and some of his actions, and he had gotten used to it. To be fair, I don't think 5 ravenclaw students could hurt his feelings more than the people who tried to attack him when we were at the Ministry. Random people, who didn't know us personally at all, got up from their desks to "protect me from this despicable man". That was a bad day, but at least Draco was not sent to prison.

So although it wouldn't hurt Draco to the core, the falling silent of the hall and the nervous mumbling as students moved seats away from him, couldn't have been nice. I could almost feel the emotional tax that would have on a person; in my years here, I'd been avoided by almost all the students once in awhile. But not now, no. This was just like the ministry: people treated me as a hero, as a perfect guy, as a savior, while treating Draco like vermin, the lowest of the low in our society. And he couldn't do much about it. 

"Blimey Harry, look who's here!", Ron said, but I'd been looking already. There was something magical about this newfound vulnerability Draco was portraying. Death Eater trial and conviction humble a person pretty well. I was uncertain about how to proceed. Yes, the two of us had been strangely open and close during the trials, but my assumption had been that it had been a temporary necessity. A short truce, so to say. Not that we would otherwise have been fighting like twelve year olds again, but the usual tension was there.  
So that caused uncertainty of action, which led to staying in place but very clearly staring at the blond boy.  
The boy in question had taken a seat at the very end of a table. I could see the ravenclaw girls moving away from him, and I felt it like it was my own shame.

"Mate, what's up with you?", Ron disturbed my thoughts. "Nothing? Why? I'm just a little surprised, that's it…", I defended myself. I was surprised, but maybe there was something more than surprise that I was feeling at that moment. But no way I could tell Ron about that; he'd take me to see madam Pomfrey before you could say Quidditch. So instead, I wondered about my feelings all by myself. Curious, but mostly frightened to what I'd find. My reaction hadn't been evil, but it didn't feel friendly. It was just, so intense. Like a wave crashing into my brain, but without causing any harm. Just, shock and confusion, but no hurt. It was weird. 

\----

That night in my bedroom, (I had requested a one person bedroom upon my arrival, seeing as my sleeping is restless, infrequent, and I tend to wake up screaming), I did something I hadn't done in a long time. Looking at the map. The Marauder's Map, an old friend that felt ancient now, like a treasure from the past. It felt so distant, and I was almost sure I'd lost my connection with it, but after the words had been spoken to open it, I fell right back into my stalking ways. Obviously, the map had changed as the castle had changed, with the great Hall looking different, and some areas being destroyed in the battle, but my main focus was there. The Slytherin dorms. 

Although almost all of the separate house things had been removed, the common rooms stayed the same. Nobody minded having a room for their house, and there would be a loss of heritage if we had to clean out the rooms. So, the passwords were removed, as everyone was free to join each other in a common room, but the sleeping quarters stayed the same. Except for me, with my separate room.

And, as I discovered, also for Draco, who was in a separate room as well. I could see him walking around in a small cube on the map, that was his room, I guessed. It was right next to the other sleeping rooms, so my guess was an educated one.  
I wondered why Draco had gotten a room of his own (and why I suddenly called him "Draco" instead of "Malfoy"...)  
Was it for the same reasons as me? Was it cause he felt out of place with the other students? Was it just a leftover from his snobbish behavior that was hard to let go? I didn't know, and it wasn't like I could go ask him, so I stayed curious, staring at the map, at the moving dots and moving stairs, til everyone in the castle was lying in their beds, and then I went to sleep.

Sleeping had never been one of my favorite things. Before Hogwarts, sleep meant being unaware of where my aunt, uncle or nephew were, which meant I could be hurt or yelled at any time, without me being aware why. Then, at Hogwarts, it started out okay, but after the first year, sleep meant nightmares. At first nightmares of Fluffy, Quirrel and the Mirror, but as the years progressed, and the horrors continued, I collected a lot of nightmare material.  
Cedric's death, Sirius' death and my own sort of death were most common, and always woke me up screaming. Ron loves me, and he's the best friend I could wish for, but even he didn't really appreciate my cries and yells at 3 am, which I understood.

Sleep had never brought me really nice things. Like, it showed me when Arthur got attacked, so it showed me good things, but never nice. That night, though, the night after Draco had returned, I woke up feeling that I'd dreamt nicely. I could not remember it, or why it was so nice, but I felt at ease, like something was going perfectly well, and I didn't have to be worried about it. It was like the very few mornings I'd had with Ginny, in the time we were together. 

With Ginny things had felt at peace, like a wave of calmth finally washing over me. It wasn’t often that I got to experience comfort and quiet, in the arms of someone who cared about me. I had loved the time with Ginny, but we both realized that we weren’t going to be together after everything would be over. Too much history, and while the comfort of a relationship were great, we weren’t the right people for each other. We had been together cause we understood, cause we both needed someone that understood, but a relationship needs more than understanding, and it wasn’t there. 

So yeah, while I was okay with not having her as my girlfriend, I missed the feeling of having a special someone. But I’d felt it that morning, and it weirded me out. 

Nothing to be done about it, so I shook it off as a strange withdrawal symptom that had randomly showed up that night. And I continued my day. Honestly, if every time I had a strange thought, moment or memory, I would stop in my tracks til I figured it out, I would never get anything done.

So I went to get breakfast. And to my potions class. And to my charms class. And to all my other classes. Like I’d done every day since getting back, but the feeling wouldn’t leave, haunting me in the back of my mind all day. Do you know how weird it is to be possessed by a nice feeling? I mean, obviously I knew what it was like to walk around with a nasty feeling all day long, but a nice one? That was new, and I had no clue how to act. So, I did what I always did when in emotional trouble.

“Hermione, something’s off”.  
This made her jump, and maybe I shouldn’t have been standing quietly behind her while she tried to stuff her mouth full of potatoes - she and Ron had been rubbing off of each other - but she moved over and I took a seat next to her.

“What’s up?”, she asked “Big trouble or regular trouble?”  
“Regular trouble, but it’s, err, it’s about feelings. I think. And I don’t think Ron would be of any help…”  
I had clearly piqued her interest with these words, as the potatoes lost their appeal and she was now completely focused on me. I told her about this morning, the missing, the comfort and the feelings I hadn’t been able to get rid off. While telling my story, Hermione got into her role of “friend who’s trying to be a psychologist”, and while normally Ron and I would make fun of her for it, right now I could use some girly insight.

“Well, Harry, I guess it’s a confusing situation”, she began. “I mean, for a long period of time you’ve had someone beside you, and a few months ago that stopped, suddenly”. 

She was right, our breakup had been long coming, but when it came, over the summer holidays, it still felt sudden. “So, it’s not strange you have these feelings”, she continued. “The real question is, why did they start now? Has something happened lately? A change in your life, renewed contact? Wait, there haven’t been any extraordinary dreams again right?”  
“No, no weird dreams, nothing unusual. And I don’t know about any changes. Thanks anyway, you’re great”

With that statement I ended our conversation, no tension relieved, but having eased her mind about the nightmares. The changes she suggested weren't something I wanted to think about, so I actively chose to ignore it all, as I was afraid of what it might reveal. Dinner went by really quickly after that, as I was in a state of mind where I didn't fully join the situation.

That night I stopped myself from looking at the map again. I really wanted to, to see all the students in the rooms, to see the professors heading to their own bedrooms, to see McGonagall staying up late in the headmaster's office, and to have the satisfied feelings looking at it gave me. But it felt wrong, and I didn't want a repeat of what had been a confusing day, so instead I left the map at the bottom of my trunk and went to sleep. Dream filled, but nothing new, and nothing that left me with weird feelings.

Morning was fine, a Saturday, so probably just some hanging around outside, maybe some flying or playing some games. I had a whole day kind of planned out, until I looked at the bulletin board in our common room. Not many things were on there, just some house rules, cleaning schedules (we had to clean our own rooms and bathrooms now), and one or two flyers for clubs, like chess or something…  
But, thar morning - although it had to have been stuck on there that night - there was a new flyer.

**"POST-WAR SUPPORT GROUP  
-  
Are you still struggling and don't know where to go, what to do or how to say it? Come join the new support group at Hogwarts.  
-  
3 PM UNTIL 6 PM, CHARMS CLASSROOM, HOSTED BY SLYTHERIN STUDENTS" **


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter, sorry for the long wait, covid and all that... I got inspired to pick this up again, hope y'all are still interested too!!

CHAPTER 2

My whole morning was just like regular. Breakfast in the main hall, where I ate too much food as a force of habit - when my brain realized food was free and in large numbers, it made a connection to the times I had been forced to starve in my closet for days, and from that moment I hoarded food into my body. The consequences of this were that I would be walking around with a tummy ache all morning, but the upset stomach was still way easier than going against the childhood trauma. 

After breakfast we went to the common room, and hung out in there. Yes, we were all traumatized young adults who fought and won a war, but we were also still kids, and being lazy on a Saturday is just an important part of being a student. So, while Hermione was searching through flyers and applications for job positions and study possibilities - we still did not know how to get her to relax, although being with Ron had helped a bit - Ron and I were lazily sitting on the couch looking through some albums of the Chudley Cannons, while ignoring the Transfiguration essay that had to be done by Monday. 

It was a normal Saturday, but the support group flyer kept appearing in my thoughts. Who had put it there? Which of the Slytherins would it be, and mostly, who would show up? It was not a secret, you know, that everyone still struggled and some people were in need of more support than they were getting. It wasn’t a secret, and not even taboo to talk about really, but it just felt weird to openly share some of the stuff your mind goes through. Nobody wants to remind each other of those bad times, and if your sharing of memories could awaken traumatic feelings in someone else, why not keep them to yourself?  
So that is why most talks and memories were shared on late nights, with one of your best friends, while the rest was a sleep. Hushed whispers about nightmares that kept appearing, the people you missed and the way Hogwarts had changed. Late, silent nights.

Thatś why this sudden appearance of a so-called Support Group was… Out of the ordinary, and sparked my curiosity. Maybe I would drop by, say hello and goodbye and leave again, just to see what it was about. But then, they might expect me to share war memories, and that was definitely not something I would be up for. Sharing was a sore subject for me, something I barely even did with Hermione and Ron. Sometimes I did, when I woke up from a nightmare or came back from a flashback, cause I couldn’t just not tell them anything, but the days and weeks I felt hollow and numb 24/7? There was no use in telling them. They would just feel guilty about not being able to help, and apart from numb and hollow, regret would also be added to my emotions.

The rest of morning I spent weighing curiosity against anxiety, and when lunchtime came I still had not made up my mind. That was, until Neville walked over, came sitting next to us and started talking.

“Hey guys! What are you doing today? I was considering homework, but I think I can postpone that til tomorrow, don’t you? Anyway, did you see the new posters? The support group thing? It’s surprising huh?” He grabbed a croissant, put it in his mouth, and looked at us, expectantly.  
I didn’t dare reply, as I had not yet made up my mind, but Hermione had already opened her mouth.  
“I saw, yes. I don’t think it’s that surprising at all, Neville. In fact, creating a group where people can go when they need help is wonderful.”  
“Oh, so are you gonna go?”, I asked, carefully not revealing any interest in my voice. If Hermione was going, then I could just tag along with her, and if both of us were there maybe people wouldn’t expect me to talk. I could just be the quiet Boy who Lived and she’d be the representative of our trio adventures.  
“Don’t think so, no. I’m a little busy with all these program applications and to be honest if I ever want to talk I can just go to you two or Ginny, you know”.

She had a point, most of the people in our circle had enough friends or family to go to when in need. That’s why the Slytherin part was not that surprising; they often did not have these connections. Still, with my very close group of friends, I still had nowhere to go or vent. I talked to Sirius and Remus sometimes. I would sneak out of bed at 2 am, not being able to sleep, and go to look at the stars. Sometimes I could actually see Sirius up in the sky. Sitting there, I would start talking and talking about what was keeping me awake, and although it helped, there was not any response, and I think I needed a response.

Sitting at the lunch table I thought about Sirius, about the late night one-way talks, and about the fact that if they were alive, any of them, they would want me to seek a response.  
So right there and then, I decided I would go.

“I’m going, yes”, I blurted out.  
It got me some weird looks.  
“I did not know you were that into therapy and support? When did that happen, mate?”, Ron asked me, rightfully so. We both weren’t the touchy feely type.  
“Yeah, I know… I’m just curious, and maybe some people will appreciate me being there”. Shit. Was that too cocky? I saw Hermione looking at me observingly, but I did my best to avoid her glance and tried to recover myself.  
“You know, cause maybe not everyone is comfortable sharing their stories, cause they uhh, feel like it wasn’t that bad, but if I share something light but bothersome, you know, they might think ‘Oh, if Harry Potter shares that, I can share this’, right?”, I proposed. This wasn’t going smoothly, but they seemed convinced and Hermione’s look stopped being intense. Phew.

“Yeah, guess so”, Neville continued “Maybe I’ll go as well, but not this time… Still a little awkward for me… With the snake and stuff”, he finished. Neville grabbed another two croissants and left the table, walking over to Ginny and starting a conversation there. Ron and Hermione picked up the conversation on Hermione’s study programs abroad, but I did not pay attention anymore. I had made my decision, and I was gonna hold myself to it. Support group it was, then.

It was five minutes to three when I made my way to the Charms classroom. I didn’t want to be early, but I wanted to be late even less. It would have been a bit too ‘Harry’ of me to stumble in 10 minutes late to a war support group and be like “Hey guys, I’m the savior”. Could not do that. Very inappropriate. 

-  
The classroom had been adjusted to a more welcoming setting, which had been achieved by moving the school banks in a circle and having no one sit at McGonagall's desk, which was smart, I don't think she would have liked that. On the board was written in chalk, in a very classy handwriting:

_"Support group: first meeting. Introduce yourself. Share information in the manner you want. Listen to others. Feel free."_

-

A good message, a little cold maybe, but good. Walking into the classroom, it appeared that despite my efforts of being casual, I still was one of the earliest people there. Better than being late. Most of them were young students, the kids who had been first and second years during the battle. There were about three of them, all Hufflepuff, gathered around at a single desk. They looked vulnerable, and I felt slightly impressed by their bravery of showing up to an event like this. In my second year, there were amazingly many things I would have done, and did, to avoid talking about my problems. To be fair, with the snake and all, I shouldn’t blame myself for that.  
The other people looked as they had come here on their own. A few Slytherins, around my age, or 7th years. I’d expected them. It was their meeting. Still, there was tension. Blaise was there, his dark eyes looking down at the desk, focused on picking the grout out of the wooden cracks. A few others were next to him, the Slytherin kids who always used to hang around Snape. Then there was Luna, which surprised me, but only a little. Distracted as always, she was talking to the moving cat pictures that were on McGonagall's desk, and they seemed to be talking back. Curious.

There didn’t seem to be anyone who was taking charge, I noticed. The person who wrote the message on the board couldn’t be one of these kids, right? Maybe they tried to be casual, just like me, and were actually succeeding at it, I thought. Although, the briefness of all the messaging did seem to belong to a strict person. Well, nothing to do but wait. 

“Hello everyone, good to see you all, I’m, uhm, Harry”, and as I spoke I realized that I did not have to introduce myself to these people. And that I was an idiot.  
“We know Potter, I think we noticed you sometime last year”, Blaise snickered, but not in a mean-spirited way, just regular, Slytherin sarcasm.  
I had learned to understand it, a little. It wasn’t like I was never sarcastic, I’d just always thought the Slytherins were mean and cruel. But in actually talking to them, I’d discovered they were blunt and full of jokes that only they understood, but without ill intent. Most of the time, that is.

“Well it said introduce yourself,” I tried to recover, “and after that to share information the way I want to. So, er, hi I’m Harry, and the war still really sucks?” Apparently it had become absolutely impossible for me to act normal and casual anymore. Lovely.  
The Hufflepuff kids looked up at me in a confused admiration. They whispered something to each other.  
“This is Nicky, this is Mary, and I’m Robb, and we think the war sucks too”. It was a little black haired boy who said this, bright eyes and dark features. He couldn’t be older than 13. How were these kids so cool?  
“Thanks Robb,” I responded, “does anyone know when our host is coming in? I don’t want to act like this whole ‘the war sucks’ thing is me taking over the meeting… Do you guys have infor-” 

“Terribly sorry to be late everyone. Extremely bad manners, I know. I hope you all have made yourself comfortable and have had the opportunity to introduce yourselves a little. I’m not sure it is neccesary, but nontheless I shall introduce myself as well. My name is-” 

_“Draco?”,_ I blurted out, quite suddenly and loudly.

“Well yes, Draco it is, thanks for the introduction, Potter.’ He said this with a tone of amused surprise, and not the snark I was used to, and might even have deserved in this situation. Attempt number three of acting normal, ruined that too.

“I’m, I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt. Just, not what I was expecting and all that. Please continue”, I responded in my most civil tone, trying to show him, and everyone else, that I was not going to have a duel with Draco right here right now. 

“Thanks, will do. Anyway, hereby I open our first group session of post-war support, there’s tea in the corner and I’d love to hear everyone’s names. Let’s get started, yes?”

**Author's Note:**

> Hiiiii!!!!
> 
> So, this is the first time I'm trying out multi-chapter fic, and I really hope it'll work out. I have big plans and high expectations for this one, and no idea how to achieve them, but we'll figure it out...  
> Thanks for coming on this journey with me :)
> 
> I try to update frequently, but writing is hard and life is kicking my butt, but it's never fully out of the picture, I promise!
> 
> Thanks for reading, kudos are so sweet, comments make my day
> 
> I love u all <3


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